BRUSSELS: The European Union summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday after Moscow put eight EU nationals, including top Brussels officials, on a blacklist in retaliation for sanctions by the bloc.

Moscow’s envoy Vladimir Chizhov “was informed of the strong rejection and firm condemnation by the EU institutions and EU Member States of this decision, which was purely politically motivated and lacks any legal justification,” an EU statement said. Senior officials from the European Commission and EU’s diplomatic service in the meeting “noted that the EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response”, it said.

On Friday, Russia barred entry to eight officials from the EU — European Parliament president David Sassoli and commission vice-president Vera Jourova were among them — in response to sanctions over abuses such as the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.